If you are a member of the ever-growing ‘Obese Club’ I have some bad news for you. You will probably never get to draw your pension! Yes I know, that is a bold, and some will say callous statement to make at the start of a blog post. I mean no disrespect, but the sentence should not be taken lightly by persons who are overweight.

BC Children's Hospital Canada

So why did I start this entry in this fashion? I believe I have a very good reason for doing so because of a report from the British Columbia Children’s Hospital in Canada that has just concluded research into child obesity. The team revealed that 63 obese children, with an average age if 13, used as test subjects all showed signs of ‘hardening’ of the aeorta, the largest artery in the body, something normally associated with middle-aged people.

They say this is a sure sign these children will suffer major heart problems, most probably longbefore they reach middle-age.

The Facts

The British Heart Foundation backed these results saying that today, “one in every five children are obese or overweight, and the numbers are rising”. In their words, child obesity is “a ticking time-bomb”.

I have written previously on this subject and it is one that will not go away, because I feel parents are failing their children like never before.

I don’t care what an adult does with his/her body and I care not if they want to be obese, but I abhor the fact that so many parents condemn their children to the same fate as themselves, i.e. not living to a ripe old age, through neglect or ignorance.

The Growing Problem

I have to ask, how can any adult call themselves a good parent when they allow their children to be obese at for example, five years of age? Daily I see young children on the streets, in a cafe or shop aged three or four up to sixteen and seventeen or older who are so fat they cannot walk properly. It is a shame no-one has given them the necessary guidance to prevent this.

Walk into any supermarket and watch the harried mothers with their brood of fat children leaving the cash register munching away contentedly from a jumbo sized bag of potato crisps. Watch them in a cafe and its hamburgers or other fatty foods, and of course, french fries with everything.

I must admit to the occasional chuckle when I hear an obese person order e.g. a hamburger and french fries and then say to the waiter “Oh, I’d better have a diet coke with that please!” Yea! Right! That will make up for all the rubbish they are shovelling down their throats.

Left Out Again?

With this post I do not mean to put people like Macdonald’s out of business, far from it, a hamburger now and then does no harm, just as a plate of french fries does no harm, but the watchword is everything in moderation.

The eating habits of children today leaves much to be desired, and I am sure most parents will find a good excuse for their brood’s eating habits. Some children get what they want because mother does not have the time to cook properly. Alternately, many children are given what they demand just to keep them quiet. Whatever the reason, parents have to be made to realise they are condemning their offspring to an early grave.

Like Father Like Son?

All the medical and scientific evidence shows clearly that obese people will not live long enough to draw their pension, for they will fall foul of heart and vascular disease, diabetes and strokes anywhere around, or soon after middle age.

Today’s report indicates clearly that so far as the young are concerned, they may not even reach middle age. As a parent I ask you; Is that what you want for your child?

Jeffrey Landrigan

Today it has been announced that one of the drugs used in the execution of Arizona killer Jeffrey Landrigan was purchased in the UK, and now some pompous, ‘holier than thou’ civil rights dimwit inBritain is making silly comments about it.

It seems the drug in question is the initial anaesthetic, the first of three drugs given to a condemned man. The rate of executions across the U.S. has slowed in recent months because of a shortage and it was for this reason the Arizona State Authorities obtained the drug from an unnamed British company.

A Killer's Last Repose

The whole saga came to light when a federal judge delayed the execution because the drug was not U.S. approved, but after Arizona had shown the drug came from a reputable source the Supreme Court overruled the judgement, allowing the execution to proceed.

All this is really ‘by the by’ for the one thing that stuck in my craw about the report was a statement by a pompous ass called Clive Stafford Smith, a civil rights lawyer, who wrote in The Guardian newspaper that the British company supplying the drug should be named and shamed for “making a business out of killing”.

The Fatal Cocktail

I could hardly believe that any person, especially one you would suspect of being reasonably intelligent because he is a lawyer, could utter such rubbish! In his piece he made no mention of the long list of crimes the man was found guilty of, but preferred to concentrate on the fact that Landrigan was supposed to be suffering from a brain disorder. Somewhat misleading to the reading public.

If he is so high and mighty, perhaps he should also ‘name and shame’ every arms manufacturer, knife manufacturer (including domestic), the Armed Forces and …….Ugh! The list is endless.

If Smith is looking for people in “the business of killing” and wishes to ‘name and shame’ them all he will be a very busy man.

There is little doubt this utterance will be supported by some twisted individuals who are looking for a cause because their lives are so empty, but to be honest, I don’t think they live on the same planet as the rest of us.

Among the readers comments on the article there were many against the death penalty chipping in. This of course is a whole different topic and one which I would not like to go into here. Perhaps later.

Mr. Smith, it is time you got off your high horse and lived in the real world. I for one do not wish to hear your sanctimonious views on the fact that a drug used to execute a convicted killer in a humane way is of British manufacture. In truth, I DON’T CARE!

It may come as a surprise to many that politicians can sometimes be quite astute. This must surely be the case with Angela Merkel, Germany’s Chancellor, who announced last week that multiculturalism in Germany is not working. What a surprise!

Angela Merkel Stating the Obvious.

Multiculturalism is a strange beast because it can and does work, but depends on the participating parties. In Britain during the sixties and seventies for example, there was the question of the integration of coloured people from the Caribbean and other places. It took time, but they made the effort and are now an everyday part of the fabric of our nation.

An important point is they learned our language, accepted our culture for what it was and moved into the house next door. Certainly, there was some bitterness in the beginning because some people find it hard to accept change, but you won’t find much of that today.

Kebab – Not healthy but delicious!

In current times however, we are dealing with a different kind of people who move to our shores for a better life. These are for a great part Muslims and other races from the Middle East. Many are Turkish immigrants who seem to have integrated quite well. They learn our language and open a Kebab Shop which is all very fine, but many Muslims however come here without any intention of integrating because they wish to dominate and take over the country.

Wow! I hear you say! That’s a bold statement, and yes, its intended to be. Just take one look at all the turmoil in our streets, in the press and on people’s lips in many parts of Europe for the last three years.

If your religious book i.e. The Qu’ran, tells you anyone who is not a Muslim is tainted and beneath you, why would you want to emigrate to that country? Perhaps they have come to save our souls!

Not If I Have Anything To Do With It!

Let me make clear right now that I am not ‘painting all Muslims with the same brush’ when I say they do not wish to integrate, and I feel no animosity towards them, except when they try to bury our culture and take over. The silent ones do integrate, but our streets are still constantly filled with sections of the Muslim population waving placards with “Islam will rule the world” and “Sharia Law for the UK”. Now that doesn’t sound like willingness to integrate to me.

With the increase in numbers, they have, instead of dispersing among the ethnic population, moved into ghettos of their own making. Whole towns (e.g. Bradford) and communities in towns and cities (e.g. Tower Hamlets London/Manchester/ Leeds) have been taken over until in some parts they feel so secure they practice their infamous Sharia Law in defiance of the British legal system.

The problem has become so acute in places like Leeds where the Pakistani Muslim part of the town is a ‘No Go’ area for the police. As these communities grow they vote in their own people to the local councils and even to parliament.

No Thanks!

Ever since Tony Blair and his henchmen opened the castle gates to these people there has been nothing but trouble on the streets of Britain. By contrast it is strange to note that Germany has not been plagued with Islamic demonstrations in the same way that England has. Perhaps this is because 60% of Germans would, given the opportunity, restrict the practices of Islam in their country. Maybe there is a lesson for us all there!

Why? Because Your Qu’ran Tells You To?

In my view, this difference in attitude is because the German people expected the influx of foreigners to integrate, while in Britain we have been bending over backwards to accommodate them! Such is the psyche of the British people. They are known the world over for their stoicism and laid back attitude in times of crisis, but at the same time are currently so afraid of being called racist or religious bigots they invented a new watchword for the country: “Don’t upset the Muslims”.

American Muslims Pray on the Streets of New York

There is I believe little doubt in the minds of forward thinking individuals that Islam wants to control the world, and the first skirmishes are taking place in Europe. America is next!

I read with some interest her comment that many German people did not think the immigrants would stay, preferring to believe they would after some time return to their own countries. Now that is certainly naive thinking!

I am but a small voice in the wilderness, but I wish people would wake from their slumber and see what is really happening before it is too late. Angela Merkel was right in her assessment of immigrant integration in Germany and it is time the British woke up and took a long hard look at their own backyard.

I read a most disturbing report on the Internet today that not only surprised me, but made me angry also. It seems the British Government under David Cameron is planning to sell off 1.85 million acres of prime forest land that the government is responsible for.

It seems to me, that instead of grabbing at straws to decrease the national debt, more time should be spent looking ‘in house’ for savings. Ref: My post: 12/10.2010 – Is Cost Effective Government Possible.

A Typical Holiday Camp

This forest action is another part of the government’s cost saving measures in the new ‘Austerity Plan’ designed to get the economy back on its feet. The forests will be sold for the development of new holiday resorts, golf courses and logging operations.

Once a Common Sight

I remember in my youth the small copses of trees or an acre or two of woodland dotted throughout the countryside every few miles, always a pleasant place for a stroll or picnic on a Sunday afternoon and they made the English countryside one of the most beautiful in the world. Soon after they all disappeared as farmers realised they could make more money by cutting down all the trees and turning the land to farming.

Robin Hood Of Sherwood Forest

Now there is very little forest land in the country. Most, like the Forest of Dean, and Sherwood Forest famous in the Robin Hood tales of old, are now a shadow of their former glory.

The forests of England have always been a haven of peace and tranquility open to all as the following film by Alan Woods amply demonstrates:

Sherwood and the Forest of Dean, like many others, are protected by ancient laws going back to the Magna Carta of 1215 but will be sold off after the present government has pushed through a law to repeal these ancient laws, and thus remove protection that has been in place for 795 years.

For me, this is one of the most stupid acts by any government since Tony Blair and his cronies opened the doors wide for immigration, and just goes to prove that all governments have their share of idiots.

Sherwood Forest

You may well ask why I am in such a ‘tizwoz’ over what to many people will seem ‘just a few trees’, but I strongly believe there is a direct link between the loss of so many trees in the world during the last forty years and global warming.

The most startling evidence to hand is the state of the Amazonian and Far Eastern rain forests which have for years been decimated by the ‘slash and burn’ techniques used by poor farmers.

The Amazon

It may have escaped your notice, but unbelievably the Amazon is suffering from drought this year with hundreds of rivers and tributaries that feed it drying up completely. Drought in a rain forest must start alarm bells ringing in even the most stupid and uncaring of people.

Slash and Burn Destruction On a Massive Scale

Over the last four decades thousands upon thousands of square miles have been chopped down, used for farming and then left barren. It has been proven that once the vegetation has been removed the ground is good for one, maybe two years of crops before it becomes infertile, and therefore, more is cut down to continue the process. The sad thing is, the forest cannot recoup this loss and the land turns to scrub i.e. fit for nothing.

The following video amply demonstrates what we are doing to our planet, and ourselves:

Scientists and environmentalists have been telling us for years that erosion of the Amazon for example will lead to major changes in the worlds weather patterns, and so it has, although most people have not yet made the link.

Every year we hear of bigger, more powerful hurricanes and typhoons, floods and landslides all over the world with unusually excessive rainfall. If we continue ridding ourselves of forests and jungle at the current rate we will soon be at the mercy of the weather like never before.

A deadly Landslide

Many people fail to see the relationship between trees and landslides for example, a phenomenon appearing in the news with rapidly increasing regularity causing death and destruction on a wide scale. Looking at news camera footage it is often evident that the slopes that collapsed were denuded of trees. People living in these areas do not seem to comprehend that trees are essential on a slope because they bind the soil together and therefore prevent such catastrophe’s.

It is indeed sad the government plans to rid England of most its forests for they are in many ways quite unique, and this all in the name of the great god ‘Profit’.

Protected for 795 Years

According to a ‘source’ close to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs they are “looking to energize our forests by bringing in fresh ideas and investment, and by putting conservation in the hands of local communities”. Now if that is not “twaddle’ I don’t know what is! How can we ‘revitalize’ our forests by chopping them down and building holiday parks?

“Putting conservation in the hands of local communities” sounds to me like passing the buck, big time! Once the forests are sold off and we see huge theme parks and golf courses in place the rats in Parliament can wash their hands and say; “it wasn’t us!”

GIve Me A Future – PLEASE!

I do so wish people could open up their minds and see what we are doing to our world, for the mistakes we make now will be felt by all mankind in future generations.

Nature is all about balance and our survival depends on us maintaining that balance. Trees, along with the plankton in the oceans, are our major sources of oxygen on the planet and without them we would not inhabit this world for long. Both of these essential ‘life partners’ are being threatened as never before in the history of the world.

Huge Tracts of Rain Forest Gone Forever

By far the most dangerous is the decimation of the Earth’s forests and fauna that has gathered momentum over the past four decades. When you consider the sheer size of the tracts of forest that are destroyed annually in the Amazon Basin it must give any sane person reason to stop and think. The problem exists all over the world for the forests are disappearing in Africa and the Far East as well as South America.

The Amazon Rain Forests have been proven by Meteorologists to be the driving force behind the weather patterns for countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean, i.e. Central and Northern America, West Africa and Europe. The effects of the Amazon River, the second largest in the world, are felt deep into the Atlantic. It has been shown that even two hundred miles off the coast of the mouth of this great river samples of fresh water have been taken from the ocean, such is the force of the huge mass of water carried by the Amazon.

Hurricane Katrina

You have to ask yourself, where are the hurricanes that plague Central and North America born? Normally in the central Atlantic off the coast of Northern South America. These hurricanes have become increasingly powerful over the last two decades and the destruction of those like Katrina will be nothing to what is waiting in the wings. My first reaction, when hearing about Katrina on the news was; “Get used to it!” for it is certain we will see the power of hurricanes increase significantly as we continue to destroy the balance in Nature.

Compared to the Amazon, the destruction of British forests is but a drop in a bucket, but many drops will fill any size bucket you care to have.

You only have to look at all the other signs of change around the world to see the significance of what is happening. It was recently announced that ‘The Dead Sea’ in Palestine will cease to exist by 2050 because it is drying up. Watch the CBS News report on:

The Sahara Desert in North Africa, The Kalahari Desert in South Africa and the Gobi Desert in Mongolia are all extending their boundaries at a steady pace.

A Lone Survivor in the Desert

The most significant of these is the Sahara that has enlarged tremendously in the last forty years because the indigenous people are wood burners and they have steadily removed all the trees that kept the desert at bay. True, they had little choice other than to move to new areas, but the end result is the same.

All the signs are there for us to see, but so long as people worship the god ‘Money’, and continue to be self-centred and uncaring about things outside their daily lives, nothing will be done to stop the decline.

Whichever way you look at it, trees are essential for the survival of mankind on this planet, and the more we cut down, even on a small scale as in England, the closer we come to our extinction as a race.

Ahmadinajad - The Voice of Iran

The much publicised visit by the Iranian Leader Ahmadinajad to Lebanon recently caused a furore in the world press, with Israel calling the visit an outright provocation while most other countries voiced their concerns in a more muted fashion.

Whatever the world thinks, it was clear he achieved his aim, that of bolstering the Iranian position with the Hezbollah group in Southern Lebanon.

Many Lebanese, in particular the Sunnis and Christians, have voiced their disquiet at the visit which was pointedly aimed at Hezbollah despite the Iranian leaders denials, saying he is trying to drag Lebanon into a war with its neighbour Israel once again.

Ahmadinajad made it clear to anyone with ears that Iran backed Hezbollah to the hilt in its contest with Israel, having provided the group with money, weapons and missiles for decades.

2006 - The Aftermath

There are many indications that Hezbollah’s war with its southern neighbour in 2006 was carried out with the collusion of not only Syria, but also in a lessor role by Iran, which has stated publicly on more than one occasion that Israel should be ‘wiped off the map’.

Hezbollah

The Shiite Hezbollah Militia, now an extremely influential group in Lebanon, has seen its power increase significantly in recent years, even so far as to become part of the western orientated government. This rise in popularity came about through the efforts of Hezbollah in rebuilding the towns and villages torn apart in Southern Lebanon during the 2006 war.

A laudable feat one may imagine, but it is now emerging the finance for all this reconstruction came from Iran with the intention of bolstering Hezbollah into its current position of power.

In the MInd of Ahmadinajad?

To observers, it should be clear that the visit of Ahmadinajad is designed to consolidate and extend the influence of this militant group within Lebanon. With Hezbollah in complete control of the country Iran would I am sure, not hesitate to have them start another war with Israel, one in which they would feel obliged to assist, thereby bringing chaos to the entire Middle East.

Iran With Nuclear Capability?

On the other side of the coin, are Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Iran has always been a militant nation, backing and/or training insurgents and terrorist organizations going as far back as Arafat and the PLO, and it is for this reason that no-one believes Iran when they say they want nuclear power for peaceful purposes.

Should the leaders of this belligerent country ever achieve nuclear weapons, no-one in their right minds is going to think for a minute that they will maintain the peace with Israel, or keep the weapons to themselves.

If Iran manages to achieve its aim, I can see them exporting the technology, or the weapons, to other Middle East countries and any other nation, or perhaps terror group, that does not like Israel, the West or America. As a result, the world could become a very dangerous place.

To me there is little doubt that Iran, given the opportunity, would love to bomb Israel out of existence, and even the fear of retaliation from Israel may not be sufficient to stop the fanatics that rule in Tehran.

Noisy Neighbours!

This Lebanon visit by Ahmadinajad has all the appearance of a blossoming power struggle for control of the entire Middle East, and the outcome could see Iran in control if it achieves nuclear capability. Should this happen, it does not take a great mind to realise that the very existence of Israel will be in jeopardy.

Projecting this scenario into the future, one possible outcome could be we end up with a mini-Cold War front in the Middle East with Israel and Iran having nuclear weapons pointed at each other, each with a nervous finger on the trigger.

Israeli Military Power

The three saving factors for Israel are without doubt the steadfast backing of the United States, its own superb intelligence network and an efficient armed forces. I am sure the Israeli’s are keeping a very close eye on Iran’s nuclear ambitions, for they above all others realise what it could mean. Should they ever discover that Iran is close to making a nuclear weapon, action will be taken to ensure it is never finished.

Naturally, Iran will see this as an act of war and quite probably retaliate, proclaiming their innocence to the world at this ‘unprovoked’ attack, but they will not be able to stand up to Israel alone, and would therefore need to convince the rest of the Arab world to fight. This is by no means a forgone conclusion. An attack through Lebanon by Hezbollah would make a fine distraction for the Israeli’s right on their border.

Throughout all the years of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict most Arab countries have stood on the sidelines and done nothing. Ever since Israel crushed Egypt, Syria and Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War and the 1973 Yom Kippur War they have all chosen to sit on the sidelines and leave the rhetoric and hate speeches to Iranian leaders like Ahmadinajad.

The Assassination of Rafic Harriri.

Syria had given tacit backing to Hezbollah for many years before the Iranians stepped into the void left when Syria withdrew after the assassination of the previous Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Harriri.

For some time the finger of suspicion was pointed at Syria for this act, but it would seem from recent reports that Hezbollah are now the number one suspect for that deed, and it would indeed fit nicely in the frame if that is the case.

There is little doubt Hezbollah wishes to be in total control of Lebanon, and with the help of Ahmadinajad and his cronies they may well do so. Should this eventually be achieved, it would be fair to say the warning bells will ring in the halls of the Israeli military and government.

It is significant indeed for the Israeli’s that they do not have a common border with Iran, for had that been the case, world history could well have been significantly different regarding the Middle East.

Out of Reach?

Geographically speaking, it is fortunate for the whole area that the two main protagonists in the Middle East are unable to get at each others throats directly. Iran must therefore enrol Iraq and Syria into any conflict to get at Israel directly, or create a base from which to strike within Lebanon, run by their lapdogs the Hezbollah.

What this means in effect, is that Iran, should it wish to strike at its arch-enemy, will need to use a different approach which it appears to be striving hard to achieve; i.e., the nuclear option.

Suitcase Nuclear Weapon

Without doubt, many pundits will scoff at the idea of Iran launching such weapons against Israel thereby causing widespread radioactive contamination over the Middle East, But if you think about it, nuclear weapons come in all sizes, even as small as a suitcase. Such a weapon with a small yield and an easterly wind would be sufficient to wipe out Tel Aviv for example with little or no widespread contamination.

But, I hear you cry, no-one would be stupid enough to start a nuclear confrontation in today’s world, not even Iran, but if you think that you do not know the psyche of fanaticism. The greatest joy for followers of the Qu’ran is to die for their religion and Allah and earn their place in Paradise.

Have you ever heard of a christian or buddhist strapping on a bomb and blowing themselves up? No, and you never will for we do not have the same level of indoctrination associated with our religious beliefs. Any soldier will tell you the worst enemy to fight is one that is praying for death!

So, the final question remains; How will all this end?

Israeli Attack on Iran's Nuclear Facilities?

To be honest, I would not like to make a prediction, but certain things are clear. First and foremost, whether Ahmadinajad and his ilk like it or not the USA is still top of the heap and will clearly not desert the Israeli’s on this issue. Secondly, Israel itself is not asleep, and well capable of defending itself against Iran should the need arise. Thirdly, the reluctance of other Arab nations to become involved with this issue may well put an unwelcome brake on the aspirations of Ahmadinajad and his cronies.

One of the crucial aspects of the whole contentious issue is whether or not the USA, and indeed the rest of the world, will be able to prevent a nuclear arms race in the Middle East with Iran at its head.

For some time now the Iranians have prevaricated on the issue, gaining precious time to further their research while the rest of the world tries to get them to the negotiating table.

Personally, I see one of two things happening; they will either achieve their aim secretly, or they will eventually be forced to abandon their nuclear programme and submit to international inspection of all their facilities.

Ahmadinajad Inspects a Nuclear Facility in Iran

Whatever happens on the nuclear issue, Iranian control of the Lebanon if achieved, will continue to be a thorn in the flesh of Israel. Having their number one enemy on the doorstep will do nothing to further the peace process in the Middle East if Hezbollah are used as a tool by the ambitious Iranian government to strike at its hated adversary.

The old adage: “If you want to make money – get a Government contract” is as true today as it ever was. The bigger the country, and thereby the government, the easier it is to charge extortionate fees for the provision of services.

Sir Philip Green

The sheer depth of government miss-spending has been revealed in Britain today by a report issued on an ‘in-house’ investigation by a well known High Street name, specifically Sir Philip Green, owner of the ‘Top Shop’ chain of stores. He was commissioned by David Cameron, the UK Prime Minster, to look into government spending with a view to cutting expenditure. What he uncovered defies description!

He stated quite frankly, that if he operated his business in the same way, he would be bankrupt within in days.

Government Waste?

In Sir Philips view, literally billions of the huge £191 billion budget could be saved by government departments with better co-ordination in the procurement of services. As an example, he estimates that a massive £600 to £700 million could be saved on the annual British Telecom budget of £2 billion. Renegotiating contracts with companies providing mobile phone services, and even office supplies and coffee could save up to 40% of the annual budget.

Damn! There Goes Another £1.45

The differences between departments in the costs being forked out for mundane things such as a box of copy paper (from £8 to £73), printer cartridges (from £86 to £396) and a cup of coffee (90p to £1.45) are to say the least, quite staggering. Who in their right minds would pay £396 for a printer cartridge? Talk about being ripped off!

Never Heard of Video Conferencing?

Sir Philip also criticised the 400,000 nights a year spent by M.P’s in hotels in London in order to attend meetings at a cost of £30 million. In the modern age he found it incomprehensible that so much money could be spent on people who must attend meetings personally. Quite rightly he puts the question: “Have these people never heard of video conferencing?”

M.P’s transport costs such as taxis and hire cars is a huge £551 millions a year. Someone from an anonymous car hire firm wrote in to say her company were being paid by the government £156.28 a week for a small car, which a normal customer would get for £99!

At the Heart of it All

It’s amazing to think that no-one in the financial side of government, i.e., The Treasury, has checked up on this kind of thing for so many years. It’s the same old story of there being no accountability within government circles! Government laptops, so often in the news for being left behind on buses, in taxis and on tube trains by government officials in sensitive jobs, cost up to £2000, while a little research on the internet revealed identical models for just £800.

Sir Philip also questioned the advisability of moving a government agency to new offices in the Midlands with a rent of £1.2 million a year on a 20 year contract, fixed for 15 years, when shortly after the department was abolished leaving a commitment of £18 million. Mismanagement of real estate by government departments costs the taxpayer £25 billion a year but could be drastically reduced.

The final report due out on Monday should make very interesting reading for Governments world-wide, especially in the rest of Europe and the United States. With luck, it will begin a wave of in-house cleaning by many governments, but I doubt it.

The Eurofighter - Costly, But Worth It

When government contracts are awarded for new military hardware, buildings or transport links etc., we all know that the project is going to cost e.g., £25 billion, but when the final accounting is done the end figure can be five times that or more. Good examples are the Eurofighter from BA Systems and the Channel Tunnel, both of which went way over budget.

Boring the Eurotunnel

Such major contracts are first put out for tender and presumably the lowest bidder wins. In my opinion, over the last three or four decades many companies have intentionally put in ridiculously low bids, one for which they know they cannot complete the task, just to get the contract. Once the contract is signed, they are fully aware the price can be jacked up once they have started work.

This is no way to run a business, and running the government services for any country is just that, a business on a larger scale.

The Secret - Make it Stick!

Governments must realise that if a supplier quotes a certain price for work to be carried out, the company must be held responsible for ensuring the end product for the quoted price. Companies dealing with government departments, be it the Ministry of Defence, Transport or whatever, must be made to put in realistic bids for services to be provided. There is nothing wrong in allowing perhaps a 3-5% cost over-run in today’s turbulent markets, but it should be no more than that.

The problems highlighted by Sir Philip Green only go to emphasis that much tighter control is necessary on government spending, for in the long run, it always comes from the pockets of the general public in the form of taxes.

This is 'In-house'

The present coalition government is currently looking for ways to reduce the annual budget by many billions of pounds with cuts to defence and the police force high on the gender. It would seem wise for them to first look in-house before taking such drastic measures, and the assistance of men like Sir Philip would be invaluable in such an exercise. By this I mean top flight business men with a known track record like Sir Philip who pulled BHS back from the brink into a good solid company, not some fly-by-night stock exchange wannabe.

Obama, Zarkosy and Merkel - the Big Three

Britain is by no means the only country afflicted with such woes. I am sure the economies of all the major nations could see a dramatic upswing if the leaders, like Angela Merkel, Presidents Barack Obama and Nicholas Sarkozy were to employ businessmen in strategic monetary positions within the government as fiscal advisors.

Another Good Place to Start?

Without a doubt, we will not see an end to the worlds economic woes when duly elected governments and leaders allow such wastage at the top, while telling the public it is time to ‘tighten belts’.

I firmly believe in the old saying, which should apply especially to governments: ‘If you must lead, lead by example!’

We all know that PC (Political Correctness) has reached the stage where it defies logic, and has turned what used to be ‘nice’ people into interfering busybodies who poke their noses into everyone’s lives, looking for an excuse to exert a little power over us ‘normal’ folks.

The Non-Politically Correct Biscuit

Well, from the stories that have hit the headlines recently, this one is a ‘dandy’.

A dinner lady at a Northern Ireland school has been criticised for giving a child a biscuit. It would appear the lady in question, Pat Lavery, had been approached by a child who asked for a biscuit. She instructed a colleague who was handing out biscuits to give one to the child.

The following day, the Catering Supervisor was told by one of the teachers, who was at the time acting principal, that giving the child a biscuit could be construed as ‘grooming’ under the Child Protection Rules.

Do these people live on the same planet as the rest of us? Are we really supposed to take them seriously? This is a prime example of giving a small person a little power and allowing them to abuse it. Why did our ‘noble-minded’ teacher imagine that the simple act of giving a biscuit to a child is grooming? For what???

The Dinner Lady at Work

Perhaps the dinner lady was trying to induce the child to act as look-out while she robbed a bank, or as a prelude to kidnapping the child and selling it on the slave market, or maybe it was something more sinister like grooming the child for acts of sexual indecency??? Poppycock!

This event took place in May 2008, and despite being vindicated by various education tribunals, Pat Lavery has undergone harassment from neighbours and town-folk since then. According to her husband she has had to accept much abuse at the hands of people who should know better.

She was required by her school board to submit to three meetings (i.e. grillings) on the subject, and because of the pressure finally left her job at the school. Both the local education board, the Western Education and Library Board, and the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools failed to meet their obligations in this matter and it was not until the case went before Mervyn Storey, Chairman of the Stormont Government Education Committee that she got any common sense.

Political Correctness in School?

Storey is quoted as saying; “I think that this is an example of bureaucracy and political correctness getting in the way of common sense. The problem with common sense is that it is not very common.” Oh how right you are Sir, most particular with the last bit!

Pat Lavery is now back in her job and has been promised apologies and compensation from the authorities.

To me however, this does not go far enough. The report does not state what happened to the miss-guided teacher, but to my mind he/she should at least have been fired! Even though this person may be sufficiently chastened by the result of the inquiry, people like this should never be employed in a position where they can wield even a small iota of power.

Life according to these pompous asses would mean we all walk around in straitjackets and have no social contact with other human beings for fear of being a branded a ‘groomer’!

This self-righteous person caused a lot of misery for the Lavery family, but will never pay in equal measure for her stupidity.

It is without doubt, time the government stepped in and did away with all these idiotic laws and crackpots in positions of power once and for all.

Roy.

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Roy Peters

Welcome to News, Views and Nonsense.

Hi, and welcome!
I can hardly believe this blog is now more than five years old, for it seems like only yesterday when I took my first hesitant steps. A lot has happened in that time, and I must say it has been a great pleasure to write about, and discuss with visitors all the momentous happenings around the world.
Whether you are a frequent visitor, or someone who just dropped by, I hope you will come back, for you are always welcome.

Now that I am a 'Gentleman of Leisure' I have time to indulge in my hobby of writing short stories. I do it for my own pleasure and not for accolades. Although I recently had offers to publish some of them, I found the cost of publication far too much and unfortunately had to decline.
PLEASE NOTE: The stories have now been removed from my blog and published on Amazon for Kindle readers.
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ARE ON KINDLE ARE: No Time For Mourning - A day in the life of Battle Of Britain Squadron.
Flight of the Rusty Bucket - A bomber crew take on a dangerous raid over Germany.
The Will To Survive - The desperate struggle for survival on a contaminated Earth in 2050.
Rescue Mission. A sequel to The Will To Survive. Our hero, along with two companions, undertakes a dangerous rescue mission.
Escape from the Taliban - An SAS team are captured and must escape a vicious Taliban leader.
The Sinking of the Rodney Star - The desperate days of WW2 Atlantic convoys.
Deadly Duel - The massacre of American troops in the Ardenne
Strike By Night - Commando raid just after D-Day 1944
Code-name Falcon - A WW2 French resistance story
Hell's Valley - The continuing battle against the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Lifeboat - The crew of a sunken WW2 convoy vessel fight to survive the merciless Atlantic ocean.
A Refugee's Story - The desperate journey of hope for a Somalian refugee.
Secret of the Golden Sphinx - Murder and intrigue in Ancient Egypt.
Alien City - Two young people stumble upon a secret alien city.
They cost only $0.99 or equivalent so feel free to browse on the Kindle Store webpage.
Roy.

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